Local 237 supported several bills in Albany on behalf of our members. Two of the six bills were signed into law and one was vetoed.

WTC Rescue/Recovery/Cleanup Disability Benefits – Signed into law, Chapter 489, Aug. 5.

This legislation provides accidental disability benefits to anyone who participated in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery or cleanup operations. It extends the time in which someone can file a statement for benefits by no later than September 11, 2010, and sets out qualification guidelines.

Public Servant’s Extended Military Leave – Signed into law, chapter 238, July 7.

This legislation reduces the financial burden of city workers who are called into active military duty and deployed overseas for more than 60 days. Many soldiers choose to remain on the city payroll while serving in order to prevent interruptions in family medical benefits and pension contributions. By law, the soldier must repay the lower of the two salaries they have earned (usually the military salary).

The bill reduces the repayment to their net salary after taxes and benefit payments. Repayment could be up to 10 years. Going forward, soldiers automatically havemilitary pay deducted from their city paychecks, and no longer acquire this debt.

Uniformed Forces Collective Bargaining – vetoed July 21.

This bill would have permitted Local 237 peace officers employed by CUNY, HHC, DOE and NYCHA to negotiate with the city as a separate uniformed services bargaining unit. For a complete list of Local 237’s 2008 legislative priorities sign on to www.local237.org, and click on “Political Action and Legislation.”